Marriage eBook

“Can your Ladyship ask such a question, after
having formally invited us?” demanded the wrathful
Jacky.

“I’ll tell you what, girls; you were just
as much invited by me to dine here to-day as you were
appointed to sup with the Grand Seignior—­humph!”

“What day of the week does your Ladyship call
this?”

“I call it Tuesday; but I suppose the Glenfern
calendar calls it Thursday: Thursday was the
day I invited you to come.”

“I’m sure—­I’m thankful
we’re got to the bottom of it at last,”
cried Miss Grizzy; “I read it, because I’m
sure you wrote it, Tuesday.”

“How could you be such a fool, my love, as to
read it any such thing? Even if it had been written
Tuesday, you might have had the sense to know it meant
Thursday. When did you know me invite anybody
for a Tuesday?”

“I declare it’s very true; I certainly
ought to have known better. I am quite confounded
at my own stupidity; for, as you observe, even though
you had said Tuesday, I might have known that you must
have meant Thursday.”

“Well, well, no more about it. Since you
are here you must stay here, and you must have something
to eat, I suppose. Sir Sampson and I have dined
two hours ago; but you shall have your dinner for all
that. I must shut shop for this day, it seems,
and leave my resuscitating tincture all in the deadthraw—­Methusalem
pills quite in their infancy. But there’s
no help for it. Since you are here you must stay
here, and you must be fed and lodged; so get along,
girls, get along. Here, Gil Blas—­come,
Tom Jones.” And, preceded by her cats, and
followed by her guests, she led the way to the parlour.

CHAPTER XVI.

ON returning to the parlour they found Sir Sampson
had, by means of the indefatigable Philistine, been
transported into a suit of regimentals and well-powdered
peruke, which had in some measure restored him to his
usual complacency. Henry, who had gone in quest
of some person to take charge of the horses, now entered;
and shortly after a tray of provisions was brought,
which the half-famished party eagerly attacked, regardless
of their hostess’s admonitions to eat sparingly,
as nothing was so dangerous as eating heartily when
people were hungry.

The repast being at length concluded, Lady Maclaughlan
led her guests into the saloon. They passed through
an antechamber, which seemed, by the faint light of
the lamp, to contain nothing but piles on piles of
china, and entered the room of state.

The eye at first wandered in uncertain obscurity;
and the guests cautiously proceeded over a bare oaken
floor, whose dark polished surface seemed to emulate
a mirror, through an apartment of formidable extent.

The walls were hung with rich but grotesque tapestry.
The ceiling, by its height and massy carving, bespoke
the age of the apartment; but the beauty of the design
was lost in the gloom.